Most Influential Blogs 2012

True for me and these fine bloggers

The Most Influential Blogs of 2012 is my tribute to some of the finest work on the web done by caring curators of quality and passion. These individuals and their work gives me cause to pause on my birthday today to celebrate along with them because of what their influence means to my work. For those of you looking to find truth in advertising, look no further than these fantastic sites.

Honest Blogger of the Year  Mike Fiveson: Mike's Look at Life - If Mike does not post something I get worried. Prolific in his posts and deliberate in his commentary, Mike is one of my blogging heroes. I found Mike early this year and his no-nonsense no gimmicks or tricks approach to photography, travel, and life are constant reminders of how to live well on this planet. Mike responds to comments timely and always with wit and charm. This is a blog about being alive and what it means to see beauty in that life everyday. Most of all Mike has become my friend and someone I cherish and respect.

Poet Foodie of the Year Barbara Bamber: Just a Smidgen - Barbara is easily the kindest person I have never met in person. When my work was in its doldrums and I was not feeling up to the task, she found me and engaged me in the most supportive dialog I truly needed. Now, add to that the sheer fact that this woman can cook, write, and blog like nobody's business and you have a real recipe for success. I would imagine that 2013 will be the year that The Smidge goes big time! Jump on this very happy bandwagon and thank you Barabara for making many of my days.

Connecting Blogger of the Year Susie Lindau: Susie Lindau's Wild Ride - If there is a single person who may have rescued my blog from a death sentence it is Susie Lindau. Known for her irreverent humor, dance videos, and the wildly successful Use Me and Abuse Me days, Susie is one of the most original bloggers on the net and one of the most connecting. Susie wants her readers to succeed as much as she wants to succeed herself. She curates her work and inspires others to do the same. Susie and I met in Colorado and she has even more energy than her blog suggests. Susie's Wild Ride has a real chance to become syndicated in my opinion and I would not be surprised to see Susie hosting her own Wild Ride Live show sometime soon. If you do not know this blog, you should.

Photographer of the Year Sam Krisch: Just Tango On - Sam is a special person to me as his work with iPhone photography has inspired my developing plan for the future. Sam's writing in his blog which details his travels is excellent and his photography on his website I linked to his name is truly spectacular. I am rarely moved to simply run out and find someone but when I saw his work in the Denver photography show that Juliet entered I knew I had seen something unique and gloriously spectacular. I owe Sam for inspiring me to keep learning this craft and continue to let my voice come through in my work. Sam's work will be coming to a museum near you in 2013. I urge you all to meet him on the web before then.

Most Influential Blogger of the Year - (Here it is folks, the big one). My award of the year goes to....... George Weaver: She Kept a Parrot - Known as Granny by those of us that love her, George is easily the most influential blogger for this aspiring author. Granny pulls no punches, hides no opinions, and will not hesitate to tell me if something I am doing is bullshit. Granny and I have a familial relationship without having ever met and there is a reason for this: her work. From her stories of local heroes in her town to the edgy, gritty photographs she gleans from rusty scrap yards George constructs stories of real life that LIFE magazine only hoped to deliver its heyday. If you want to read words and experience images that will transform you and take your mundane and make it magic, follow George Weaver. She has expanded to include the stark and beautiful photo site The Fuzzy Photo so although technically retired she is one of the hardest working women in the blog biz. I have such fondness and love for George and I am not alone. I have never seen so many awards and accolades heaped on anyone and all of them utterly earned by her prodigious efforts in the field of photography, writing, and friendship. Big Love to you dear friend and congrats on influencing the hell out of me!

There you have it and Happy Birthday to Me!

TBA Wins The Versatile Blogger Award!

As some of you who have been reading a bit know, I am not much for the blog awards; or at least that is what I espoused. I am now changing my tune. I was too new to understand what this meant and way too self-focused to notice that I was ignoring the most important aspect of life as a blogger: community.

It is the community of creative and curious friends that has kept my streak of posts, laughs, comments, and vision for the future alive. It is this community of true kindred spirits that has influenced me to believe in my work and that I am not nearly as alone on the planet as I had believed. In fact, I may even go so far as to say I like people more than I did 3 months ago because of all of you.

I am not cynical, I am just funny. The humor may not always be so cheerful as an episode of the Smurfs or slapstick like the Three Stooges, and it is definitely much more akin to Larry David than Larry the Cable Guy; however, take me lightly and you will laugh all the way to the toilet. Seriously, I am actually so excited about this award that I am interrupting the telling of my Mexico story to fulfill the obligations of this blog.

Ahem...so now the funny part is over and here is the truth

Tania Jessica Smith - nominated me for this award. Tania is one of the most gifted photographers and visual artists on the web. I do not know her personally yet her work speaks volumes. I just saw her photo for the first time and she is incredibly young to be so accomplished. It is work like Tania's that makes me in awe of WordPress. Who the hell am I to shun any honor this woman would bestow upon me? Please check out her work, it is phenomenal.

Thank you Tania, you do indeed Rock!

7 Facts About - The Blissful Adventurer

I think people who believe in the death penalty should be shot (OK, that was a joke)

seriously....

1. I started cooking when I was 11 years old and at one point in time had a sideline business cooking wine dinners for clients and friends

2. From 2009-2011 I ate over 1000 meals in restaurants - I believe it is hard to discuss food and restaurants without being an expert on eating in them

3. When I was a child I created an entire make-believe world for my brother and I. We had country names, world maps, various regime types, races, accents/languages, socio-economic circumstances, and of course football teams, tennis players, and lots of wars. My home country was called BLUE LIGHTNING

4. I have a gluten sensitivity which has virtually forced me to abandon some of the foods that I hold dear which include and are not limited to the following: wheat pasta, pastries (too numerous to list), biscuits, gravy, gravy and biscuits, malt-o-meal, ice cream cones, rolls, sourdough, white bread, sourdough bread, cinnamon toast, cheese toast, garlic bread, hamburgers, hot dogs, and beer. If I eat gluten my stomach swells to twice its size and I am plagued by incessant farting deep in the night.

5. I have a genetic flaw in the enamel of my teeth and I require extensive restoration. My condition has now deteriorated and I must get this done in the next 2 years or I could lose my denti. My brother has already done this so he has a killer smile. I have not so people always assume I am always in a somber or contemplative mood. Few people know that I am always laughing on the inside or that I am not an imposing giant with a stoic half-grin. This has been the hardest thing I have ever had to accept about me (an otherwise dashing figure) and this is easily the first time I have ever admitted it publicly. The procedure is $50,000.00 that is a lot of travel and hence the reason why I have yet to commit. :-( One of the reasons I love to blog is that only the sweeter and more likable parts of me are visible and so everyone's first impression of me is not as intense as I come across in person.

6. I was married and divorced once before. I have no intentions of ever going down that path again, the divorced part :-)

7. I have every intention of turning my travels into a television product as well as writing for television and film in the coming years. I sold my company and changed my whole life to write and I will not accept any other path but success. Naysayers be damned I would rather die a pauper than return to doing anything I find to waste my precious time on this planet. So if anyone has any hopes that I will give up on this dream and return to the working class; just know I would sooner die.

Much live Adventurers!

People who deserve this and may have already been nominated, so, if so I am nominating you again category:

The Rules (should you choose to accept them)

• 1. Thank and link to the person who awarded you (you are allowed to be as gushing with this as takes your fancy!)

• 2. Share seven random facts about yourself.

• 3. Pass the award on to more blogging friends.

• 4. Contact those friends with the link and congratulate them!

• 5. Post your award with pride.

Mike's Look at Life - M5Son is one of the finest bloggers and funniest guys on the web. He knows no bounds to his self-deprecation, yet I know his genius is in the underestimation of this talented man. He may post amazing and thoughtful photos, yet his writing is something to behold. I would trust this guy with anything. He also has a very cool first and last name. I admire Mike and his look at life

This Little Light - Cara Olsen may have converted me back to my Christian roots with her wit, devotion, and resilience. She is one of the most gifted people on the web and she marries that with an exhaustive work ethic. I admit freely she is one of the best friends I have whom I have never met. I look forward to augmenting that status.

Italian Wine Geek - Joanie Karapetian makes me smile everyday. When I was her age I lived and breathed Italian wine with no outlet for my passion other than toiling away in a wine shop where Italian wines were second-class citizens. Joanie brings all the passion and knowledge to our community everyday. She is one of the best in the biz and easily one of the nicest.

The Culinarian Guild - The Passionate Culinarian is as straight forward as an F5 Tornado. This guy cooks and he knows why. He is one of the people I knew I liked in the first exchange because there was no need for flowery formality. TPC is also damned funny and so if intensity and honesty are your bag, he is a winner. I would not be surprised if he told me that this nomination was ridiculous because it had nothing to do with food :-)

She Kept a Parrot - Her name is George (not a typo) and she may be the single most insightful and supportive member of this community. I am 100% certain she has been nominated for this award a few times, yet I am doing it again. George is a  woman of letters and a heart of pure luster. I would have quit this long before now if she did not read and support my work while delivering photos and short observations that make Hemingway look like a drunk and Faulkner a verbose pedant. This woman is like Moses come down in disguise to lead all of us. She could call to Heaven at any point for an express ride to the top yet she chooses to love amongst us mortals so that we may experience a snippet of truth in our lives.

There are so many more of you who deserve this. These 5 are people I believe I know a bit and who know me. We are certainly connected in a way that WP could have never imagined was possible when they began this project.

I love being versatile :-)